Item - 2016.EX18.13

The Executive Committee:

1.  Directed the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to conduct public consultation on the proposed regulatory and licensing strategy and its potential impact on tenants, owners and the surrounding community and report back to Executive Committee in 2017.

2.  Directed the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to include in their report an enforcement strategy on multi-tenant houses, including enforcement in areas where multi-tenant houses are not permitted.

3.  Directed the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards to report in the first quarter of 2017 to the Licensing and Standards Committee with proposals (including any necessary amendments) to improve the renewal process for existing rooming house licenses.

4.  Directed the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to engage the City's universities, colleges and the development community and report in 2017 on solutions to student housing issues including, but not limited to new student housing developments, and new education and outreach programs to provide information to students on housing options.

The Official Plan supports housing diversity in all neighbourhoods across Toronto for all types of households. Multi-tenant houses, often referred to as rooming houses, are an important part of the affordable rental housing stock and provide single-room accommodation to a diverse tenant demographic including students, seniors, new immigrants and low/moderate income individuals. The city's Affordable Housing Action Plan 2010-2020 encourages an increase in legal, well-run multi-tenant houses. 

Current regulations for multi-tenant houses are a patchwork of by-laws that were not updated after amalgamation and do not adequately address the need for this type of housing. The demand for affordable housing has resulted in the conversion of properties to multi-tenant houses in areas of the city where they are not currently permitted and without the benefit of appropriate permits or inspections. These factors potentially impact the life and safety of both occupants and the surrounding community.

This report summarizes the extensive public consultation process that was undertaken in the spring of 2015 to assess how the current regulations and the multi-tenant housing stock are affecting tenants, operators and the surrounding communities. Over 1,500 participants across the city were engaged through neighbourhood consultations, focus groups and an online survey. The findings of the consultation were used to identify potential changes to existing regulations and enforcement strategies.

The report proposes a multi-pronged strategy for multi-tenant houses that will form the basis of the next phase of neighborhood-based consultations. The strategy aims to balance the need for affordable housing and the capacity of the city to protect tenants and neighbours from unsafe living conditions.

The proposed zoning strategy would enact temporary use by-laws, including new use definitions and local maximum thresholds (number of rooms) under the Planning Act in five areas across the City where there is evidence of a concentration of this type of housing for the purpose of piloting permissions. 

It also proposes an enhanced licensing program for multi-tenant houses that introduces new requirements to improve living conditions as well as improvements to the licence review process to better engage neighboring properties.

The report proposes that staff consult the public on the proposed strategy for multi-tenant houses and report back on the outcomes of the consultations in 2017.

This report was prepared in consultation with the Interdivisional Multi-Tenant House Working Group, which includes the Affordable Housing Office, Toronto Fire Services, Legal Services, Toronto Building, Office of Emergency Management, Toronto Public Health, and Shelter, Support and Housing Administration.